Sunday, June 26, 2016

Mechanical engineer Alwyn Jones was recently given the task of creating something seen on the internet—a type of request we’ve all faced at some point. This particular project was from his girlfriend, who had seen a coffee table constructed out of milk crates and wanted him to replicate its rustic design. When the mechanical engineer discovered this wasn’t feasible, he scrapped that idea and decided to build his own table instead. Jones’ solution takes a conventional coffee table and installs a planter into its top surface, creating a piece that’s both functional and an eye-catching decorative piece.

In a post on Imgur, Jones takes us through the DIY process. After gathering materials, he cut a long hole into a pre-made table top, creating a space where the planter would rest. The joints for the form were then calculated, cut, and bonded. Once the main frame for the table was secured, slats were assembled as a secondary shelf and wedged between the legs. Finally, the top was dry fitted and the construction was over—the next steps were priming, painting, and planting the vegetation in soil.

For those who want to build a custom table like this one, Jones’ post acts as a helpful guide. When he shared his handiwork on Reddit, one user had an alternative idea for the plants in the table. “If you put some rocks on top,”Redditor pugsnthings explained, “it may help keep the soil from getting on stuff, can also look really cool.”

Canadian internet sensation Taylor Jones has struck gold with his passion project, Dear Photograph. An adorable, nostalgia inducing phenomenon, Jones invites his audience to submit cherished memories in the form of a photo within a photo. The resulting series represents a heartwarming collection of treasured times, poignantly and humorously captioned by people from all over the world.

Jones first embarked on this project years ago while flipping through some childhood photos of his own. He thought it might be interesting to hold one of his photos up against the same backdrop. It turned to be interesting to a whole lot of people who began submitting their own renditions. At first, Jones was overwhelmed by the attention Dear Photograph was getting, but he quickly took on the task of archiving the submissions on a website by the same name. Due to its inventive, relatable, nostalgic, and popular nature, it comes as no surprise that it was named one of the 50 Best Websites of 2011 by Time.com and selected as the #1 Website of 2011 on CBS TV’s “The Early Show.”

Jones' hugely popular website has also been turned into a stunning book that compiles 140 never-before-seen images. His blast-from-the-past concept is a striking visual offering of human experiences. They may not be your photos, but there's something undeniably relatable about each one.

Above: “I inherited my grandmother’s family photos several years ago and finally did some digging to see if I could find the old family homes around Detroit. Here’s one on Marx Avenue with my father in the early 1930s.” -Mary

“‘No, ma'am, it’s not a boy in a dress, it’s a girl in a dress.’ The hair came, the dresses went, the park stayed.” -Nomeda

“This is when I still had hair and my brother pooped himself. We were happy, but we didn’t know it.” -Domenico

“Cheetos forever!” -Seokyeong Han

“Believe it or not, skinned knees aren’t the worst thing that can happen to you. Love, 18 year-old you.”

“My mother was a hippie too. Deal with it!”

“This was my great uncles and grandfathers automotive shop in Dublin called Burney Brothers Garage. They sold Royal Enfield motorcycles and raced in the Isle of Man TT. They were also in business with Stanley Woods, who was an Irish motorcycle racer famous for 29 Grand Prix wins and winning the Isle of Man TT races 10 times in his career. When the remaining family members went back to Dublin two weeks ago it was so special to be back in the place they lived and worked all their lives.” -Julie

“All those years ago, before I was even here, you and sissy were having fun in the same yard all our kids have had fun in. Nobody would have imagined you would be the first to go. Happy Birthday Brandel! We lost you almost 7 years ago and we still miss you everyday.”

“The barn, the tractor and my grandfather Sam are gone now. But on this Alberta farm beside the lake, you can hear his footsteps along with my grandma, great-grandma, those of my late father and now, my dear aunt who’s joined them and left behind so many memories. Rest in peace, Karen.” -Lorena

“It seems like yesterday that my daughter Taylor was graduating from high school and this picture was taken. Today, 4 years later, Taylor continues to be on the right track and graduating from Northern Arizona University.” -Mom

“Seasons come and seasons go, but my heart still fills with joy remembering the boy in the frog shirt and the girl in the purple straw hat fishing for days on end not caring if they caught anything.” -Bridget

“The three little man and women are now in 3 countries apart. Home gives us the bonding laugh.” -Lingwen

“Though I am taller than you now, I look up to you still as I did nearly twenty years ago.” -Andrew

“You were taken on 22 April 2000 by a visiting grandfather who was waiting outside for his grandson to come back. 14 years later today, for the first time in 7 years since moving out of the childhood house and neighborhood, I have come back to visit just like my grandfather. Sometimes we reminisce and by taking a trip down memory lane quite literally, the connection is stronger just being in the places where those memories were made.” -Jun

“15 years separates from when I took this photo to now. We moved a couple hundred miles away 2 years after this photo, and both my boys are grown and doing their own things. I miss and cherish the days when they did things with me and their mum, but things always move on, and we always have each other.” -John

Known for her breathtaking, larger-than-life floral installations, Rebecca Louise Law’s newest piece sticks to that distinct, flower power approach. The artist's largest venture of its kind to date, The Canopy is composed of 150,000 native Australian flowers entwined together with carefully concealed copper wire. Based in East London, Law is an fine artist with a thriving green thumb, making use of her talents to create stunning pieces primarily out of all-natural materials.

This installation contains a wide array of vibrant flower varieties, including rodanthe, hydrangea, protea, statice and roses among others, arranged together to form a lovely capsized bouqet. Each of Law's lively pieces are built uniquely and can take between 1 day and 1 week to finish, depending on their size. Her lovely works are known to tease at the "relationship between man and nature,” as she creates thriving gardens and then places them in the most unexpected settings.

From June 22nd this striking blooming canopy will hang in the Eastland Shopping Mall in Melbourne, Australia, where mall-goers can appreciate the fragrant botanical cloud blossoming overhead.

It’s said that opposites attract, and for Cameron the lion and Zabu the white tiger, this timeless adage rings true. The unlikely pair first met in the early 2000s while residing at a roadside zoo in New England—an unfortunate place for the two creatures—but they were both rescued in 2004 and subsequently relocated to the Big Cat Rescue in Tampa, Florida where they're known as the “resident odd couple.”

Upon saving Cameron and Zabu, Big Cat Rescue saw the special relationship they shared and knew they had to be kept together. “When Zabu and Cameron were rescued, we constructed a large natural enclosure for the two of them to share since they are truly bonded as a couple,” they explained. To ensure this was a safe partnership—for both the cats and their caretakers—the rescue spayed Zabu and neutered Cameron. This caused him to lose his majestic mane, but it allowed him to remain happy and close to his love. “He seems much more comfortable in the hot Florida summers,” Big Cat Rescue also remarked, “without the extra 15 pounds of fur around his neck.”

The two now have lives that resemble that of a house cat. They play with their favorite toys, enjoy lounging in the sun and rolling around in the grass. Zabu can even act like a kitten, according to the rescue. “While Cameron tries to sleep most of the day away (as lions do in the wild), Zabu is extremely energetic and is always pestering him to play.” To keep her content, Cameron showers her with gentle cuddles as well as affectionate licks and nuzzles.

Learn more about Cameron and Zabu’s incredible story in the video below.

Illustrator, designer, and photographer Emillie Ferris is making animal lovers’ dreams come true with her custom embroidered pet portraits. With 13-18 hours of careful handiwork, gifted 21-year-old creates what she calls “paintings with thread” that capture the unique faces of beloved cats and dogs with stunning detail and hyperrealistic accuracy. Every shade of scruff, each precise whisker, and every last furry feature is rendered in her intricately stitched fiber, with the tones and texture honoring the animals’ truest quirks.

Ferris first began exploring embroidery two years ago as a hobby, but she seems to have quickly mastered the self-taught craft, which she says she loves because “it is timeless, unique and requires a lot of patience.” She uses DMC embroidery floss—best for fine details—on calico material that’s stretched across a hand-stained 5” circular hoop. The most challenging part of the process, she explains, “is trying to find the perfect colour for a portrait, as you can’t easily mix colour as you would with paint, thus I have to create the illusion of it!”

Each work is based on a photo provided by the pet's owner and costs £248 (around $350) plus international shipping, with a two- to six-week turnaround. Ferris’ work is in high demand, so she only opens five slots at a time in her Etsy shop, and they tend to go fast. Hopeful customers are encouraged to sign up for her newsletter to learn when she’s releasing new opportunities.